A bumper is a structure attached to or integrated with the front and rear ends of a motor vehicle, to absorb impact in a minor collision, ideally minimizing repair costs. The present invention introduces a bumper that can be used in motorsports and in the vehicular industry.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention is intended to be used on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). Retrofitting certain accessories is a common practice to protect the ATV from being damaged during use. Bumpers are amongst the most common accessories that are retrofitted to the ATV. Even though existing ATV bumpers provide sufficient protection, there are notable drawbacks to these existing bumpers.
When a bumper is used on an ATV, the bumper is expected to reduce the damage that can be caused to the ATV and the rider of the ATV. To do so, a majority of the existing retrofitting bumpers are designed to be indestructible. Even though these bumpers prevent the ATV from contacting an obstacle directly, the rigidity of the bumper can damage the frame of the ATV upon impact. Replacing or repairing the frame of the ATV can be costly and time consuming.
To prevent rigid bumpers from damaging the frame of the ATV, users tend to purchase bumpers that fold, bend, or break upon impact. Even though the frame is not damaged by using these bumpers, the need to continuously replace the bumper can be financially disadvantageous to the user. Considering the flaws of the existing bumpers, the need for a bumper that absorbs the force from an impact and prevents the force from transferring to the ATV or the user is clear.
The objective of the present invention is to address the issues mentioned above. To do so, the present invention introduces a retrofitting bumper made of ultra-high-molecular weight polyethene (UHMWPE). The materialistic properties of the present invention absorb the force upon impact and prevents the frame of the ATV from being damaged. The materialistic properties also prevent the force from being transferred onto the rider of the ATV. Since the present invention has a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the need to replace the bumper is eliminated.